Apparently today was the third-hottest English day on record. Despite that, I did, after all, decide to go out and do 20 miles or so. Because I only did 30-odd yesterday I guessed my knees wouldn’t mind a short ride, and they didn’t. Normally if I cycle two straight days I expect a bit of knee trauma on the second day, but nothing at all today. Felt like I hadn’t pressed them into service for a week.
I wonder if the heat has something to do with that? If it does then maybe cycling long distances in the winter isn’t very clever. Perhaps I should investigate heated knee covers.
The weather will be a lot more suitable tomorrow, but I’d rather go out on Sunday than Saturday. Got into the habit of pottering around the house being idle on Saturdays.
Anyway it wasn’t as bad out there as I feared. Certainly the heat was a bit oppressive, but the 13mph wind was worse. A bit like being being accosted by a giant hairdryer.
I went down to Desford on the X, going along Wood Road on the way. I sometimes come back that way but this was the first time I’d done it in an outward direction (I think).
To my surprise a heavy cloud rolled over and it started to rain lightly, near Newbold Verdon. That stopped after a few minutes but half an hour later conditions grew very gloomy again. Then a few spots of rain, then thunder and lightning! Some of it quite spectacular. I think this was the first time I’ve been out on a bike while being frightened that I might get struck by lightning. I put my boot down hard and came home the most direct way, up the A447. I set a PR on a 1.25 mile segment over the last couple of miles, a stretch that I’ve done 68 times recorded by Strava and probably at least a dozen more than that. Got rained on for the last ten minutes but although I feared a downpour, it was moderate.
22.05 miles, and that’s 503 this month.